Enter Rest!

Enter Rest!

The unknown author of Hebrews has a 2-fold purpose in this profound letter: To wake us from spiritual slumber and to compel us to see the all-sufficiency of Jesus. Built around 6 strong warning texts, Hebrews is designed to call the reader to wake up, pay attention to their spiritual state, and turn from anything and everything that is clouding their vision and numbing their experience of the all-sufficiency of Jesus. Hebrews 3 and 4 tell us that the Word of God is sharper than a double-edged sword, cutting to the deepest places within us, performing surgery in the human heart - but only if we let it. Hence, the resounding warning of these chapters is “do not harden your hearts” as the Israelites did in the wilderness. Whenever conviction comes, through God’s Spirit and God’s word, we have a choice to make: will we repent in soft-heartedness and receive the truth, or will we harden our hearts and persist in our sin?

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Read Hebrews 3-4

1. Read all of Hebrews 3 and 4. What do you see as the relationship between repentance and rest?

2. What’s one example of a visible sin/attitude/behavior that you’re repenting of during this Lent season? (example from teaching: stinginess)

3. Can you identify a deeper trust issue that lies beneath it? (ex: struggling to trust in God’s loving provision)

4. Is God revealing a deeper wound that needs to be healed? (ex: childhood neglect, leading to lifelong fears about provision). Take time with others to pray about these things!

Feb 25, 2024 - Matt Deisen

Pay Attention!

Pay Attention!

The unknown author of Hebrews has a 2-fold purpose in this profound letter: To wake us from spiritual slumber and to compel us to see the all-sufficiency of Jesus. Built around 6 strong warning texts, Hebrews is designed to call the reader to wake up, pay attention to their spiritual state, and turn from anything and everything that is clouding their vision and numbing their experience of the all-sufficiency of Jesus. In 2:1 we get our first warning — pay attention, lest we drift! — and the author paints a vivid picture of the way we naturally go off-course in following Jesus. Lent is about seeing and naming that drift and making a decision to move the other way. Thankfully, Jesus is eager to help us as we cry out to him in repentance! In repentance, we turn from our distractions and renew our attention and affections in all Jesus is and all he's done for us.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Read Hebrews 2:1-4

1. Read all of Hebrews 1-2 this week. What seems to be the author's main concerns?

2. In 2.1-4, we get our first warning text. What is the main command of the text?

3. In what ways are you most tempted toward distraction and drift?

4. Read Hebrews 2.17-18. What is the posture of Jesus to us in our temptations?

5. "Attention is the beginning of devotion." How will you give your attention to Jesus during this season?

Feb 18, 2024 - Steve Hart

The Revealer of Jesus

The Revealer of Jesus

It feels almost impossible to believe: Jesus says it is better for us to have the Holy Spirit with us than for us to have Jesus himself with us. The arrival of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, is a magnificent upgrade to Jesus' mission and ministry! In the Spirit, every single disciple of Jesus across time and space has direct access to the same presence and power of God that Jesus himself enjoyed. If that is true, then knowing and trusting the Spirit ought to be one of our highest priorities as disciples. This Sunday, we wrap up our series on the Promise of the Spirit, looking at how the Spirit comes as our Guide, personally directing each of us and all of us as a church family on mission. We'll celebrate the coming together of River's Edge and Soma Spokane into one body, tell the story of how the Spirit guided us into this partnership, and collectively ask the Spirit to continue to lead us as we live as brothers and sisters on mission in the things to come.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Read John 16:12-15

1. Jesus tells us who the Spirit is in John 14:15-17. What do we need to know about who He is?

2. Slowly read each of Jesus' 5 Promises about the Spirit (John 14:18-24; 14:25-26; 15:26-27; 16:7-11; 16:12-15).

3. Of the 5 promises, which seems like really good news to you? Why?

4. What does it look like to have the Spirit as our guide? How do we discern the Spirit's voice?

5. Spend time in listening prayer for one another. What is the Spirit saying to you? How will you respond?

Feb 11, 2024 - Steve Hart, Matt Deisen

The Corrector

The Corrector

In the Upper Room, as Jesus prepared his disciples for his departure, the anxiety grew and the fear was likely palpable. What would it be like without Him right in front of them? How would they make it in an antagonistic world without Him as a compass? Jesus assured them that it would be better for them after he departed. The Helper (The Ghost) would arrive! This wouldn’t only be to the advantage of the disciples, the Spirit's arrival would be better for the world. The Spirit will correct the church about right living regarding justice, and then through a corrected Church, He will bring right living and justice to a world ruled by evil forces. The Spirit corrects and empowers the Church!

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Read John 16:7-11

1. How do you struggle to bring your spirituality into your everyday life?

2. In what ways have you experienced the conviction of the Holy Spirit?

3. In what ways are you experiencing the empowerment of the Holy Spirit?

4. What places of injustice, brokenness, and evil do you feel the Spirit invited you to correct?

Feb 4, 2024 - Gabe Shippam

The Witness to Jesus

The Witness to Jesus

Depending on your church background, there are a lot of misguided notions about the third member of the Godhead. Thankfully, Jesus is really clear and spends quite a bit of time explaining to his disciples what exactly they ought to expect when he sends the Spirit. In John 14-16, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure, and for their role in carrying on his mission and ministry. They’re afraid and uncertain, and the promise of Jesus' ongoing presence with them by the Spirit is his solution to their worry! There’s a wealth of resources in the Holy Spirit, and in this series, we'll explore all Jesus' promises to give us when the Spirit dwells in us. This week we look at Jesus' promise to empower us by the Holy Spirit to bear witness to Jesus.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Read John 15:18-25

1. What is Jesus trying to prepare his disciples for? How do you think they would have received these words?

2. Jesus promises the Helper will "bear witness" to Jesus. What does he mean by that? How does he fulfill that promise?

3. To what degree can you say you've experienced this sense of empowerment for mission and ministry?

4. End your time in prayer, asking the Spirit to bring greater power to us, our communities, and our church!

Jan 28, 2024 - Steve Hart

The Word and the Spirit

The Word and the Spirit

Depending on your church background, there are a lot of misguided notions about the third member of the Godhead. Thankfully, Jesus is really clear and spends quite a bit of time explaining to his disciples what exactly they ought to expect when he sends the Spirit. In John 14-16, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure, and for their role in carrying on his mission and ministry. They’re afraid and uncertain, and the promise of Jesus' ongoing presence with them by the Spirit is his solution to their worry! There’s a wealth of resources in the Holy Spirit, and in this series, we'll explore all Jesus' promises to us when the Spirit dwells in us. This week we look at how the Spirit works in union with the word of God - calling us to remember God's word, reinforcing what is true, and empowering our life in Christ.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Read John 14:25-31

1. Describe how the Holy Spirit’s work points us back to God’s word. How does God’s word also point us to the Spirit?

2. How is the peace (shalom) that Jesus gives us different from the world’s version of peace?

3. As Christians, we can lean towards the extremes of being only “Spirit Led” or “Bible Led”. Which side do you lean towards and why?

4. End your time in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to help you follow his leading and hold fast to God’s word, worshipping God in spirit and truth.

Jan 21, 2024 - Matt Deisen

The Presence of Jesus and the Father

The Presence of Jesus and the Father

Depending on your church background, there are a lot of misguided notions about the third member of the Godhead. Thankfully, Jesus is really clear and spends quite a bit of time explaining to his disciples what exactly they ought to expect when he sends the Spirit. In John 14-16, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure, and for their role in carrying on his mission and ministry. They’re afraid and uncertain, and the promise of Jesus' ongoing presence with them by the Spirit is his solution to their worry! There’s a wealth of resources in the Holy Spirit, and in this series, we'll explore all Jesus' promises to us when the Spirit dwells in us. This week we look at Jesus’ promise to not leave us orphaned, and the Spirit’s role in bringing every disciple a deeper sense of God’s loving presence.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Read John 14:15-24

1. What seem to be the main themes of this text? What is Jesus highlighting for his disciples?

2. Jesus promises not to leave his disciples as orphans. What does he mean by that? How does he fulfill that promise?

3. To what degree can you say you've experienced God making his home in you? (see v.23)

4. End your time in prayer, asking the Spirit to bring a deeper sense of God's loving presence.

Jan 14, 2024 - Steve Hart

Introduction to John 14-16

Introduction to John 14-16

Depending on your church background, there are a lot of misguided notions about the third member of the Godhead. Thankfully, Jesus is really clear and spends quite a bit of time explaining to his disciples what exactly they ought to expect when he sends the Spirit. In John 14-16, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure, and for their role in carrying on his mission and ministry. They’re afraid and uncertain, and the promise of Jesus' ongoing presence with them by the Spirit is his solution to their worry! There’s a wealth of resources in the Holy Spirit, and in this series, we'll explore all Jesus' promises to us when the Spirit dwells in us. This week we look at the context of these promises and begin asking Jesus to give us the fullness of His Spirit.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Read John 14:12-17

1. Before you gather, read John 13.31-14.14. What is the context? What is Jesus telling his disciples?

2. When it comes to the Holy Spirit, what has been your exposure or experience? Is that positive, negative, or neutral for you?

3. Read John 14.15-17. What does Jesus tell his disciples to expect when the Spirit comes?

4. End your time in prayer together, thanking the Spirit for what you've learned of him in this text.

Jan 7, 2024 - Steve Hart